I don't feed raw, except for bones..so i have no idea if this is common knowledge for raw feeders? Or something new? Just thought i would pass this along, and perhaps get some raw feeders opinions on this?

THIS IS A CROSSPOST
------------------------------------------------------------

Have any of you heard of neosporosis canineum??????
>
> Well, up to this week I had not, but I do know alot about this
now.
> UNFORTUNATLY.
> Last saturday we were having a barbeque and invited just a small
group of
> local friends.. Stephen and I went shopping to Tesco early in the
week, and
> as I am now disabled and walk with a stick, I suggested that we
purchased
> some of the meat for the barby, for that weekend....... as I cant
go
> shopping on my own ( thats why you dont see me at shows these days)
> basically killing two birds with one stone. We purchased many
items, but
> amongst them were two large packets of lean minced steak, that I
intended to
> make my own burgers from... as they were large packs, and on
arrival home,
> did not know what to do for tea, so suggested spaghetti
bolognaise....... I
> took about one third of the mince from one of these packets and put
it in a
> pan...... all of the rest of the meat was then frozen for the
weekend. My
> boxer then came into the kitchen and as I had not starting cooking
then, I
> removed some of the mince and gave it to her......mmmmmmmm she
loved it.
> Then stephen called her, and her mother and fed the dogs , whilst I
prepared
> the spag bol.
>
> This was tuesday evening last week... then came friday and Cilla
was
> starting to act strange. Hanging her head to one side, and slightly
falling
> as if she was drunk. Saturday she seemed to stabalise and I thought
a little
> better, and thinking she had an inner ear infection started her on
a course
> of synulox 250 mg tablets three times daily, as the vet would. By
monday she
> was worse so was rushed to the vets........ I was so upset, I could
not
> rememeber half of what he said but he did say he was doing one
particular
> test that had to be sent away. In either case, if it did come back
possitive
> for neospora he would start her on the antibitics there and then,
and he
> said the synulox I had given was good.
>
> She was a little better on tues evening so was allowed home.
still hanging
> her head to one side, and walking in circles and then falling over.
We
> continued with the drugs, then, wednesday came and my vet rang to
say the
> tests results were possitive. She was infected with neospora. We
then racked
> our brains how she could get this awfull desease.....not virus!
apparantly
> very few cases are reported, because it is masked by so many
symptoms...
>
> Neospora is a parasite that is ingested from contaminted meat,
that is
> fresh, and from the consumption it only takes 1-3 days for the
parasite to
> attack the brain, then work its way down the spinal cord, and
infect all the
> major organs and mussles.......leaving the dog paralised and
blind..... At
> 9.30 yesterday morning I had to have my beautifull Cilla
eathanaised, to
> save further suffering.
>
> On reserching this, on the internet, it mostly appears in cattle
heards
> and clinicle tests have been carried out at liverpool university,
and
> sweden, and the USA. It is usually more common in costa rica, south
america,
> but is gradually showing up everywhere. Very few cases were
reported last
> yr. the syptoms rang from a weekeness and paralysis of the
forlimbs,
> drunken type behaviour, altered behavier, blindness, head tilt, head
> nodding, tremors, seizures,sudden death due to heart inflamation,
pheumonia,
> skin abnormalities. Frightening isnt it?
>
> It can only be ingested fron fresh meat, as freezing the meat
will kill
> the spors.... cooked meat will kill the spors. As we eat very
little meat
> ourselves, and never feed fresh uncooked meat to our dogs , I can
definatly
> say that it was the fresh lean mince steak from tesco, that is the
cause.
>
> Neospora can not use humans as a host so if ingested the stomach
will
> kill the spores, so dont worry there........ it only affects,
cattle, pigs,
> sheep, goats, but has now moved to dogs, and research on the
internet
> suggests ALL dog breeders be aware of this parasite. From the onset
of
> ingesting the spores, my dog was dead within 8 1/2 days....... She
was my
> constant house companion, and our hearts have been ripped apart.
How many of
> you, when in the kitchen, preparing the evening meal, give some
fresh meat
> to your dog... Please look it all up, its frightening to think
that this is
> in the human food chain. Apparantly only one animal is inspected
from each
> heard to be slaughtered, but thats this counrty. A lot of meat now
comes
> from other countries..... if in doubt, still buy the meat, but
FREEZE it
> before you intend using it for at least 24 hrs.
>
> Cilla was 16 months and four days old, when she died.
> I will of course, be informing DEFRA , and advising our local
tesco store,
> but on an advisory capacity only!
> Anne H

Last edited by Spurby on Sun Aug 08, 2004 4:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.